I started in the hobby in HO then went to N Scale in the 90's. Switched back to HO in 2009....then some of my N scale locos came back to me in early 2011 which I added to. So at present I have mostly HO and some N. Oh I also have interest in G scale but do not own any. So, I have decided that I like trains (DUH) and model railroading and do not worry about the scale so much now. Oh I also have some interest in Z but have not done anything in Z (have thought about it though).
In a word, baloney. I've seen more & more HO layouts running with DCC and sound- matter of fact, I'm hard-pressed to find a layout in this area that ISN'T DCC-equipped. The club layout I operate on is not only DCC-equipped, but computer-dispatched, with the only thing missing being diesel sound. The allegation that "NMRA, Kalmbach and Walthers hates N scale" is way off base, as I see more & more product coming out. Kalmbach's publications have featured some great N scale layouts, and had the Carolina Central HCD layout and the Wisconsin Central as project railroads. Given the percentage of HO scalers over N scalers, I'd say the percentage of N scale layouts is about right. If you dispute this, build an N scale layout worthy of publication. The so-called 2012 apocalypse is also a "well-known fact", which should tell you where that statement about The Vast N Scale Conspiracy Theory belongs. You folks have plenty of support here and in the print media, and I obviously have no problems with the N scale folks we have here. But holding fast to the statement you've made is more isolationist than anything. For the record, I've modeled in N scale, and still have a decent-sized collection of locomotives & rolling stock that far outshine the garbage that existed in the 1970s. I'm back in HO for my own convenience, not some preconceived notion that N scale is being plotted against. I'm building an HO switching layout, which I feel I can pull off better than in N scale (my opinion, anyway).
LOL.......funny! But a note of caution- paranoia tends to interfere with the sarcastic humor detector.
It comes down to, imo whatever scale you're comfortable with. The Only Scale that was never "DCC" Savy is G. We've only recently come into that in the last few years with Aristocraft trying to make it easier for G-Scale to set up and run wirelessly. I admit that If Had grown up with N-Scale or Z-Scale, or O-Scale, I'd be in that scale. But the only two I had were G and HO. And I'm not being non-dcc savy on either scale. Plans to use both are underway. It might be a different story if I was alive in an era that didn't have this technology. We all use the technology that becomes available. But in this economy, it's not cheap, and we watch our budgets. That doesn't make us less savvy. I prefer to have a roof over my layout (Except the Garden Railroad, as that's outdoors).
Actually your thoughts is quite antiquated by several years.There is a lot of serious modeling going on and we have had smaller flanges for several years plus smaller rail size C55 track.As far as couplers the Z Scale coupler is a good choice. Modeling in HO I know the handrails and finer details is fragile and can be broken off by accident even while removing the car/locomotive from the box-not to mention the complaints about itty biddy parts getting broken off in transit,wrong paint color,missing details etc..
And in some case more fragile to move then HO layouts.I've seen some highly detailed N Scale modules that would shame a HO module.
I started in HO as a child with my dad building a sterotypical 4x8 with double main and two DC controllers. Then as years went on we built a slightly smaller (4x6 I think) n scale layout. Neither layout ever had any more scenery than removable preassembled plastic buildings and the HO layout had some holes drilled that removable pine trees were put in. The n scale layout was destroyed when my dad moved quite a few years back and he didn't have any interest in building another. Now as a father with my own two sons (3 (going on 23) and 1) I've built a small n scale collection and double main track (9 3/4" and 11" radius curves) which my oldest son has a blast playing with and the baby watches with excitement. I'm planning on building a large layout in another year and a half (when I graduate college and start working/earning again). I hope to have our cellar cleared out by then and already have the wifes blessing to take it over! Now I'm undecided what scale I want to pursue for these large plans... I generally find n scale looks more detailed... probably because a lot of the missing details can be ignored as they'd be so darn tiny anyway! But from my experience HO was more forgiving when laying track, the trains were generally easier to put on the rails, and they are cheaper (typical diesel locos seem to be around $80-100 for n scale and $40-60 for HO).
I am not sure HO locomotives and rolling stock is any less expensive than N scale. Just like in N scale you get what you pay for. MIcrotrains, Atlas, Kato and Athearn are a few of the good brands in N scale (there are others as well) equipment from these companies tend to cost more than Bachmann, old LifeLike, etc. Same it true in HO. Equipment from Kato, Atlas, MTH, Proto2000 newer Athearn (Bluebox still good but cetainly lower quality than newer Athearn products than products from old LifeLike, Bachmann, Model Power, Tyco, etc. For DCC Ready Athearn RTR C44-9W at a retail hobby shop I have spent about $90 on a loco. For brand new Athearn Genesis SD70MAC retail hobby shop I have paid $115.00 for a loco that is DCC ready. Same is true for rail cars, Athearn 33K gallon LPG tank cars retail about $30.00 each
I'll take many many more details and proto technical specs on even athearn rtr's and atlas units in HO over the much less detailed and many less roadnames in N. The whole reason why I came back to HO.
I've spent some time today looking at HO layouts (youtube, etc)... I think N scale will allow my layout to look a lot more realistic space-wise. I want to model long-ish (60-100 car) mixed freight making long runs. I'm planning on doing a lot of peninsula style planning with division in the middle... HO would mean I need larger areas at the ends for the train to turn...
Okay... So you've seen nice modules.. Nice, but very biased towards a pretty small sample size. I use engines that blow away anything even offered in N scale. Give me my Atlas, Kato, MTH, Ath-Genesis, BLI, Intermountain, Proto, Bachmann.. sound equipped locos.. You can have Kato and atlas in N.. with basic detail.. basic functionality and extremely limited roadnames. You guys need to lay off the N stuff and see what's going on all around you.
Please tell me you guys shop around a little more than that.. I can easily get anything athearn rtr for 50-70s or even 40s.. atlas for 70s on standard units.. heck I just got a atlas b23-7 with sound for 130.. that's a hard price to beat unless you get lucky on eBay.. and I got it at my lhs.
I can easily run a 60 car train with my 14/11 room.. That's the most I've tried.. Pretty sure I could easily get it up to 80 if I tried. Just get tired of you N guys that come in and act like the HO guys are morons and aren't technologically advanced.. It's just amazing how in this forum this happens all the time.
I decided to go back to the beginning and read the original posters question. which was basically, "Why are there only 5 viewing the HO section and 80 viewing the N scale section." I poked my head into this expecting to read some fun posts and it's kind of getting ugly in here. Arguing in favor of one scale in another scales forum section is sort of like going to another country and telling them their language is all wrong. it's also bad manners. i have some opinions but I don't want to fan the flames on this one. Besides, you're all wrong, OO SCALE BRITISH OUTLINE IS SUPERIOR!!! All of you N and Ho'ers are just misleading yourselves. Pathetic worms, go back under your rocks where you belong.
I am not treating anybody like a moron. For my plans (or loose thoughts) I'd like long relatively straight sections of track... I don't have enough space t o do that in HO I don't think. Nothing against HO, just getting the balance between space needed vs whats available.
Like I said before, N-Scale has a bigger following on Trainboard, we understand that. Those of us who hang around in HO are here because it's what we model. The same goes for anyone in any scale forum here. Why can't that be the end of the discussion, why must insults be thrown? Anyone throwing insults on other peoples scale choices is hurting the hobby and giving not only the hobby and your fellow modelers bad names, but your doing yourself a great disservice as well. I Request that one of the Moderators or Admins lock this thread. It's gotten out of hand.
On the same token we get tired of HO smugness and bias toward N Scale. I guess you miss that part where I said I model in HO to..I have several Athearn and Atlas locomotives. I can go to the HO club and run a 70-100 car train which isn't a big deal.I can run a 150 car train at the N Scale club again no big deal. So,HO has lots of ittybitty details you can't see under normal layout viewing big deal..So, N has oversize couplers again big deal. Both scales has sound..Big deal.I don't use it in either scale. The cold facts is both scale has advantages and disadvantages and one must choose the scale that fits his needs and neither scale modeler need to be disrespectful or feel superior to each other.
